Lifting mechanism



Y 30 1967 I I "AQGRESSBACH 3, 5

LIFTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 30, 1967 -A. GRESSB ACH LIFTING MECHANISM 4 Sheds-Sheet 2v Filed Oct. 23, 1965 INVENTOR A GRESSBACH J Y 1967 A. GR ESSBAQH LI FTING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed 001:. 23, 1965 INVENTOR ARTHUR GRESSBACH May 30, 1967 A. GRESSBACH 5 LIFTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 23, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 OOOOOOQ OO 1 7 p HP m- W 'FW 0 0 0000060000 0 0000000 INVENTOR ARTHUR GRESSBACH United States Patent LIFTING MECHANISM Arthur Gressbach, Staatsstrasse 297, Eisenbach, Germany Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,643 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 13, 1964,

G 42,016; Sept. 21, 1965, G 44,732

16 Claims. (Cl. 294-81) This invention relates to self-tightening grappling members particularly those which include movable jaw means capable of being adjusted relative to one another to grasp, lift and transport both large and small objects irrespective of their weight and circumferential area.

Devices of this general type are known in the prior art and include clamping side pieces which are usually moved toward each other through the medium of a lever action. The closing movement of grappling devices of this type is caused by the pulling force being directed upwardly, thus bringing about a reaction force relative to the gravity force of the load during the course of which the grappling means are brought into contact with the circumferential area of the object to be lifted. Moreover, the prior :art devices have a further shortcoming in that since only one of the two arms or jaw means are movable relative to their supporting member, they do not thus have the versatility which is inherent from the construction to be disclosed later herein. Furthermore, in the prior art devices when the pulling force is transferred by the pulling means to the suspending ring and therethrough to the load, the force is only directed in a single direction into the transverse ar-m because of the center of gravity on the suspended load. Consequently, this creates a torque in the load and causes it to oscillate during transportation. Osbviously, the creation of such a condition is dangerous be cause the dynamic forces arising at this time may cause the clamping device to become disengaged from its load, not only dropping and damaging the object being lifted, but endangering life and limb as well of any personnel working in the area.

In view of the foregoing it is one of the objects of the invention to provide a self-tightening load raising apparatus capable of handling either large or small objects irrespective of weight, size or shape.

It is another object of this invention to provide two clamping side pieces which are fastened to an arm independently of each other so that the lifting force of the pulling means, relative to the center of gravity of the load, can be adjusted relative to the load being lifted, thus producing a clasping force always dependent upon the size of the load.

It is a further object of the invention to provide flexible bands adjacent to the inner confronting surfaces of each of the jaw members to protect the perimeter of the object being lifted when force is applied through the jaw members to the object.

It is still a further object of the invention to provide an arrangement where a dependent hinged claw means, provided as an articulated extremity on one jaw member, can be caused to move inwardly to engage and grip the load to be lifted through the medium of a pivotal member which is associated with a flexible band means.

It is still another object of the invention to provide another embodiment wherein each of the jaw members is provided with hinged or articulated claw means which are actuated through the pivotal member by motion transmitted thereto through a cable.

In a still further modification of the invention a series of levers are adapted to function as a parallelogram so as to transmitmotion therethrough to the object being lifted.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be- 3 ,322,455 Patented May 30, 1967 come apparent from the following description when read in the light of the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view partially in cross-section and partially in elevation of one embodiment of the invention showing the jaw members in engagement with an object;

FIG. 2 is also a side view partially in cross-section and partially in elevation of the same embodiment of the invention showing the lifting member in a latched position with the articulated claw means extended parallel to the main jaw member;

FIG. 3 is a side view partially in cross-section and partially in elevation of a further embodiment of the invention showing in full lines cable-operated jaw members engaging a large pipe and in phantom lines the same jaw members moved relatively toward one another in order to engage and lift a smaller pipe;

FIG. 4 is a further embodiment of the invention showing a side view partially in cross-section and partially in elevation of la parallelogram lever-actuated system adapted to lift an object;

FIG. 5 is a similar view of the same apparatus adapted to lift a relatively small object through a different correlation of the lever members comprising the parallelogram;

FIG. 6 is a cross-section on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a side view partially in cross-section and partially in elevation of a still further embodiment of the invention showing another parallelogram linkage system;

FIG. 8 is a side view partially in cross-section and partially in elevation of another embodiment of the invention showing a different jaw arrangement; and

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view showing in dotted outline how the parallelogram lifting means may be adapted to raise an object from a reclining position in dotted outline to an upright position in full outline.

Turning now to the drawings and, more particularly, to FIG. 1, there are shown horizontally-arranged sheet metal plate members 10 and 11 (one shown), the web of each of which is serially apertured as shown at 12 and provided at their opposite longitudinally extending edge portions with cylindrical enlargements in order to rigidify the same against any bending under load being imparted thereto by the jaw members.

A pair of jaw members 13 and 14 are provided at their upper extremities with integral, transversely spaced, plurality apertured sleeve means which are adapted to confine the elongated plate members 10 and 11 therein. The rigid jaw is supported by one pair of the spaced sleeves 15 and 16 (one shown) and the dependent jaw member 14 is provided with a corresponding pair of sleeve members 17 and 18 (one shown) with each pair of sleeve members and their respective dependent jaw members being adapted to be slid longitudinally of the spaced plate members 10 and 11 and confined to any predetermined location thereon by means of bolts 19 and 20, respectively. It is to be understood, of course, that the bolts may be passed through the apertures in the sleeves and the web of the plate members 10 and 11, or they may be positioned through the aligned apertures of the web members behind the respective sleeves 15, 16 and 17, 18, respectively, as illustrated in FIG. 1 at the left.

Jaw member 13 carries at its upper and lower portions spaced oflstanding apertured ears 21, 22 and 23, 24 (one each shown) between each of which is positioned a roller 25 and 26, respectively, and are adapted to support therebetween a flexible band 27, the use of which will become apparent as the description progresses.

The opposing jaw member 14 includes depending ears 28 (one shown) which are suitably apertured and adapted to receive a bolt 29 which hingedly supports a claw member 30, the lower portion of which is also provided with a transversely extending shaft 31.

By referring at this time to the upper portion of the grappling device and particularly to the pivotal member 32, it will be observed how force is transmitted therethrough to the movable claw member 30.

The pivotal member 32 is shown as being generally arcuate in configuration, but may assume any desired shape and includes in its upper portion a series of aligned apertures by means of which an eye member 31 may be suitably pinned thereto.

A swingable bolt adjusting means 33 is adapted to pass through a collar 34 carried by an adjustment lever which is suitably and rotatably secured to a pair of rollers 35 35 (one shown). A flexible band 36 is connected at one end to the bottom of hinged claw and at its other end to a sheave 37. A cable 38 provided with eye means is also fastened to the claw 30 on bolt 31 adjacent to the flexible band with the other end being secured to the sheave 37. Accordingly, through the adjusting means 33 the rolls -35 are moved for changing the tension on the cable and the flexible band. It will be thus apparent that upon lifting the eye 33 and therethrough the pivotal means 32 that the rolls 35-35 are moved upwardly thereby tightening the cable and its associated band, and consequently urging the claw 30 inwardly into contact with the surface of the conduit or pipe.

Referring now to FIG. 2, it will be observed that a pair of shorter perforated sheet metal members 10 and 11 shown in full lines are assembled together with the jaw members 13 and 14 and are moved considerably closer together on this pair of plate members in order to accommodate an article having a much smaller perimeter.

In this view it also will be noted that the pivotal member 32 is lowered into a non-load engaging position and at which time the flexible band 36 and the cable 38 are untensioned so that the claw 30 may assume a position as best shown in FIG. 2. The load suspension eye element 33, depending upon the degree of pressure desired to be exerted upon the object being handled, may be moved to any one of the perforations in the pivotal member 32, all of which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

In FIG. 1 there is shown a latching member 41 which is pivotally secured to the pivotal lifting member 32 and is now offstanding from the jaw means in an inoperative position. However, when it is desired to lock the pivotal lifting member in a lowered non-load engaging position, such as that shown in FIG. 2, the latching means 41 is swung into the position shown therein with one leg abutting the jaw means, thus preventing the member 32 from being raised relative to the jaw means 14 and tensioning the belt and cable means described earlier in connection with FIG. 1.

In the embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIG. 3, there is shown another type of jaw and claw arrangement as well as a modified means for operating the dependent claw means.

In FIG. 3 the reinforced spaced plate members 10' and 11' (one shown) are again illustrated and adjustably secured thereto by pins, as taught in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, are the sleeves 14 and 15' (one shown) and 16' and 17 (one shown), together with their dependent jaw means 13 and 14', respectively.

In this modified embodiment of the invention, the pivotal member transmits motion to a pair of hinged claw members 51 and 52 by means of tensioning a cable 53 as will be best understood as the description progresses.

As distinguished from the embodiments of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, both jaw members of FIG. 3 are provided with hinged claw members 51 and 52 and adjacent to their lower extremities are pivotally secured means carrying sheaves 54 and 55 which are adapted to receive the cable 53 each end of which is dead-ended on the pivotal member 50, as shown. A series of three transversely extending spacedly arranged rollers 57, 58 and 59 are arranged in a manner to havet he cable 53 entrained thereabout, two of the rollers, that is 58 and 59, being supported by spaced ears extending angularly inwardly from each of the jaw members 13 and 14', whereas the roll 57 is rotatably held between the legs of a bracket 60. The bracket 60 includes a threaded bolt 62 which is held, as shown, by a wing nut 63 by passing its shank portion through a collar 64 which is aflixed to the perforated plate 65 the latter being adapted to be adjustably supported relative to the spaced elongated sheet metal plate by pins 66.

In this form of the invention the grapple operates by fastening the eye of one end of the cable to the bolt 67, which is positioned transversely of the pivotal member 50, and then passing it downwardly at an angle and around a portion of the surface of roll 58 and thence adjacent to the inner wall area of jaw member 13' and from there about the sheave 55 and then upwardly about roll 58 and then horizontally rearwardly toward roll 57 where it passes about this roll and then longitudinally over the top of roll 58 until it is brought into engagement with roll 59 whereupon it passes downwardly adjacent to the inner area of jaw member 14' and about sheave 54 whence it is then turned in the reverse direction and passed upwardly adjacent to the inner wall area of the jaw member 13 and attached by means of an eye to another bolt which is securely fastened to the pivotal member 50 to the right of bolt 67 as shown.

It is to be noted that one end of the cable 53 is deadended into the bolt 70 and immediately prior thereto passes over an arcuate plate 71. As is also well shown in this view, there is an additional curved plate 72 which has a considerably reduced are from that of plate 71. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that depending upon the overall circumferential area of the article to be lifted and the amount of pressure desired to be transmitted thereto the cable can be passed either over the arcuate plate 71 or its companion plate 72 which has a lesser degree of inclination.

In the phantom lines shown in FIG. 3, jaw member 13 has been moved to the right to engage a pipe having a much smaller circumferential area.

In a further embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4 a series of levers are assembled to provide a parallelogram actuated gripping means for both large and small objects, particularly those having parallel spaced walls. It will be apparent from a study of the remaining figures in the drawing that this type of clamping device may be utilized to lift and transport stacked plates, ingots, steel beams or girders and any other type of heavy object.

As in the earlier views described in connection with FIGS. 1-3, the additional embodiments shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 utilize a pair of spaced perforated elongated edge reinforced sheet metal plates 10 and 11", at one end of which is adjustably positioned integrated spaced sleeve means 14" and 15" (one shown). As indicated in the description of the earlier views, pins 18" and 19 are provided to permit adjustment of the sleeve means relative to plates 10 and 11" when desired. The dependent jaw 16" includes a flat face 17" which includes reinforcing web means 30 (FIG. 6) for a purpose that will be apparent. The webs are perforated as at 81 to provide for association therewith by a pin means 82 of spaced plates 83 (FIG. 10) which will be described later.

With further reference to FIG. 4 there is shown at 84 a rectangular plate member perforated adjacent its upper edge portion as at 85 in order to provide for inclusion therewith of an eye member 31 for a purpose previously explained in connection with FIGS. 1-3.

At the lower opposite ends of plate member 31 there is provided means defining openings adapted to receive pin means 86 and 87, respectively. Pin 86 is passed through part of the elongated spaced plates 10", then through the rectangular plate 84, and a lever 87, then into the adjacent plate 11". For a better understanding of this, see at this time FIG. 6. The lower opposite end of the plate 84 is associated with a triangular element 88 in the same manner as previously explained.

The triangular plate means 88 perforated adjacent to its respective corners, as shown, is pivotally connected at one corner to the plate means 84, in the same manner as described earlier relative to lever 87 and at another corner to sleeve elements 16" and 17" (one shown). A link 90 is pivotally associated with the remaining corner of the triangular plate 88 and another perforated triangular plate 91 which has pivotally secured thereto by pin means 92 a pressure element 93.

In view of the foregoing, it is believed that it will be immediately apparent that by merely attaching any type of book means in the eye 31" and then lifting the grasping device shown in FIG. 4 that through the parallelogram action of the triangular elements and their associated levers, the pressure foot will be moved inwardly to engage and grip the article 94 shown in section.

Where articles are required to be lifted and transported which are more narrow and consequently less bulky, such as shown at 95 in FIG. 5, the link 87 is then pivotally associated with the sleeve as shown, and the eye member 31" is moved to the right as viewed in the drawings, whereupon lifting force may be applied thereto.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 7, various elements are similar to those previously described in connection with other views, thus only those elements that assume a modified form will be discussed.

The parallel rigid perforated elongated elements denoted 100 and 101 (one shown) are adapted to pivotally support the rectangular member 84' by means of the lever 87' and triangular perforated plate 88', the latter being rotatable about pin 104 which extends through the web of the plates 100 and 101 and transmits a turning movement through link 90 to claw 93' by rotating it about the fulcrum point 105.

In FIG. 8 a further embodiment of the invention is shown which utilizes the spaced perforated elongated plates previously referred to and whereas in the other side views which are sectional and only the back plate is shown, there is in this instance shown also the front plate, which thus covers a portion of the cooperative elements.

However, it is believed the operation will be apparent since the only difference in this particular view is that the triangular plate 88 is turned back face to front about pivot point 110 shown in FIG. 8. One corner is pivotally connected to rectangular plate 84", another corner is connected to hell crank 107 through a link 109, and the final corner is associated with a pin means which extends through slidable jaw member 111 and elongated element 101. Bell crank 107 is pivotally attached to slidable jaw member 111 and associated with a pressure foot carried by claw 108 and it is believed to be apparent that upon lifting the rectangular plate 84" by its eye member a turning movement is imparted to the triangular plate 88", further transmitted to bell crank 107 through link 109 and into claw 108 by means of the pressure foot.

FIG. 9 is merely illustrative of the use of the grappling means shown in FIGS. 7 and '8 and shows how a large object to which the grapple is attached (dotted outline) may be turned through approximately 90 to an upright position (full lines), whereupon it can be transported to another location.

Upon a careful study of the various disclosures contained herein, it will become apparent to those skilled in the art that the grappling means illustrated in FIGS. 4-9 may be utilized to lift and transport many different shaped articles irrespective of whether they are hollow or solid. In FIG. 9 there is illustrated how an elongated object may be grasped at the perimeter swung through an arc of 90, and then lifted for transportation.

By way of a further example, which is considered capable of description and unnecessary to illustrate, a series of two or three or the grappling devices may have relatively short lengths of chain attached to their eyes and then all brought to a central point where an additional eye member could be located for attachment to the lifting mechanism. Thus, upon an upwardly directed force being exerted on the central eye, all grapples would be caused to simultaneously react to clamp and lift hollow articles such as a large diameter concrete pipe.

Although several embodiments of the invention have been depicted and described, it will be apparent that these embodiments are illustrative in nature and that a number of modifications in the apparatus and variations in its end use may 'be effected without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an improved grappling device, the combination comprising, plural spacedly-arranged plates having means defining a series of correlated transversely aligned openings therein, plural sleeve means adapted to be associated with said apertured plates and including body portions having depending relatively rigid jaw means and relatively movable jaw means, means defining openings in said sleeve means whereby they may be adjusted longitudinally relative to said spaced plates intermediate thereof upon insertion of pin means therethrough, and pivotally mounted means associated with at least one of said depending jaw means for transmitting angular motion thereto when a lifting force is applied to said pivotal means.

2. In an improved grappling device according to claim 1, wherein at least one jaw means includes a hinged articulated lower extremity adapted to move relative to the body portion of said jaw means.

3. In an improved grappling device according to claim 2, wherein flexible means extend between the lower extremity of said jaw means and said pivotally mounted means.

4. In an improved grappling device according to claim 1, wherein each of said jaw means comprise inner work engaging faces and include flexible bands arranged in spaced relation to said jaw means.

5. In an improved grappling device according to claim 1, wherein each body portion of said jaw means includes an articulated lower extremity.

6. In an improved grappling device according to claim 5, wherein the articulated extremities of said jaw means include free end portions adapted to pivotally support sheave means.

7. In an improved grappling device according to claim 6, wherein at least three rolls are spacedly arranged substantially horizontally and normal to said spacedly arranged plates and a cable is adapted to be entrained about said rollers and said sheaves and dead ended on said pivotally mounted means so that upon a lifting force being applied thereto the articulated extremities are moved in a direction toward one another to grasp an article.

8. In an improved grappling device according to claim 1, wherein said pivotally mounted means is interposed between said spacedly arranged plural plates adjacent to one of said jaw means.

9. In an improved grappling device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of said rolls includes a movably mounted adjustment means associated with the plural plates.

10. In an improved grappling device according to claim 9, wherein all of said rolls are adjustable in a substantially horizontal plane.

11. In an improved grappling device according to claim 1, wherein the pivotally mounted means includes a latch means.

12. In an improved grappling device, the combination comprising, plural spacedly arranged plates having means defining a series of correlated and aligned openings therein, plural sleeve means adapted to be associated with said apertured plates and including body portions having depending, rigid jaw means and movable jaw means, means defining openings in said sleeve means whereby they may be adjusted longitudinally relative to said spaced plates intermediate the same upon insertion of pin means therethrough, and parallelogram linkage means associated with at least one of said depending jaw means for transmitting angular motion thereto when a lifting force is applied through said parallelogram linkage means to said jaw means.

13. In an improved grappling device according to claim 12, wherein said parallelogram is provided with plural linkage means one of which is afiixed to said movable jaw means and another of which is associated with the rigid jaw means.

14. In an improved grappling device according to claim 12, wherein said parallelogram linkage means associated with the depending jaw means includes a pair of substantially triangular plates, one of said plates being pivotally associated with said sleeve means and said other triangular plate being pivotally associated with said movable jaw means.

15. In an improved grappling device according to claim 14, wherein the other of said substantially triangular plates comprises said jaw means.

16. In an improved grappling device according to claim 12, wherein the rigid jaw means includes means defining openings adapted to receive and have secured thereto parallel spacedly arranged plates.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1930 Grinnell 29421 9/1966 Caldwell 294-81 

1. IN AN IMPROVED GRAPPLING DEVICE, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING, PLURAL SPACEDLY-ARRANGED PLATES HAVING MEANS DEFINING A SERIES OF CORRELATED TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED OPENINGS THEREIN, PLURAL SLEEVE MEANS ADAPTED TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID APERTURED PLATES AND INCLUDING BODY PORTIONS HAVING DEPENDING RELATIVELY RIGID JAW MEANS AND RELATIVELY MOVABLE JAW MEANS, MEANS DEFINING OPENINGS IN SAID SLEEVE MEANS WHEREBY THEY MAY BE ADJUSTED LONGITUDINALLY RELATIVE TO SAID SPACED PLATES INTERMEDIATE THEREOF UPON INSERTION OF PIN MEANS THERETHROUGH, AND PIVOTALLY MOUNTED MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DEPENDING JAW MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING ANGULAR MOTION THERETO WHEN A LIFTING FORCE IS APPLIED TO SAID PIVOTAL MEANS. 